In an era of emails and e-tickets, e-file is the buzzword. Today, most returns
are electronically processed. This makes filing returns swifter, smoother and
easier. All professional tax preparers are required to file the returns
electronically (e-file), except for few options. You can even e-file your tax
returns all year long. Don and Sherry are aware of this.

If you prepare your own individual tax return, you can choose to
electronically (e-file) file it, or mail in a paper income tax return. And whether
you prepare your own returns or engage a professional tax preparer, some tax
returns still require a paper copy be mailed into the Internal Revenue Service
(IRS). 

For instance, if you have an Adoption Tax Credit, or there is Identity
Theft with your returns, or you are sending in amended or past year tax returns
older than 6 years from due date, your return must be mailed in.

 If you are divorced, and claim the Child Tax Credit and later find out that your ex-spouse
claimed the child (even if they were not allowed to) and filed their return
before you filed yours, you will need to send in a paper copy of your return
with a copy of your Divorce Decree, and proof of Identification (i.e. Driver’s
license, Passport, State ID card, Military Id card). This is the only way to prove
that you have the right to claim the child as a dependent and save on your
income taxes. 

Believe it or not, the above example is an Identity Theft issue.
These are some of the reasons why you might still have to file your tax return
via US Postal Service.

Always remember, when you send anything to the IRS or any
government agency, always send it certified mail, return receipt requested.
This is a way to PROVE you sent the return to the IRS or state
Department of Revenue.
Electronically filing (E-File) is the preferred method of filing for the IRS. E
filing your tax return provides many benefits to you:

You can save a copy of your tax return on a flash drive or hard drive, hence less paper for you to keep track of.

Once you e-file your tax return, the IRS will respond to you via
email within 48 hours, to let you know that your tax return was
received and that it is accurate (math only) and complete (correct
social security numbers). The IRS even tells you if something
needs to be corrected and re-submitted, like with misspelled names
or wrong names and social security numbers. When you try to
submit your tax return with these mistakes, you will get a rejection
notice, with an explanation of what is wrong. Then you can correct
it and submit again.

You will also be able to check the refund status of your e-filed tax
return. Look under “Where’s my refund?” at IRS.gov
E-filing your tax return also means you will receive any refund
quicker. Taxpayers that e-filed their tax returns, and used direct
deposit, usually receive their refund within 10 days.

You can also decide if you want to pay your tax with a credit card
or an electronic debit from your checking account. Be careful,
both the IRS and credit card companies may charge fees to pay
income taxes. Now you can see that sending your return using e
file is faster, easier to track, and allows for a quicker refund.

Note: if your IRS refund is $10,000 or more, expect your refund to be
delayed up to 9 months while they check your refund for possible fraud. The
benefit here is the IRS will have to pay you interest on the refund while they
delay paying you! Tax Return Trouble for Self-Filers.

While many people self-file tax returns, it is usually better to use a
professional tax preparer. This is true for many reasons. First, you are not a tax
preparer. You do not scour over the tax code, read the rules and regulations, go
to continuing education classes, pass hard, lengthy, expensive licensing exams
and maintain professional licenses, like Certified Public Accountants, Enrolled
Agents, and Attorneys do. These tax professionals save you much more than
you know. The average self-filer brings home around $1800, while tax
professionals help refund over $3000. Quite a bit more, huh? 

Once Don and Sherry found this out, they never tried to prepare their own taxes again.

They even call their tax professional every time they think of spending money on big
items, just to make sure they don’t miss any tax saving opportunities!

There are many reasons why working with a tax professional can save you
money. A tax professional will prevent you from making the mistakes that cost
millions of taxpayers in overpaid taxes, every year. Such benefits of working
with a tax professional aren’t just about your refund. Think of all the time spent
on reading the rules (especially this year), learning how to interpret and use
them, knowing which documents are important for preparation of your return
and which are not, knowing where you kept old copies when you apply for a
loan, keeping up on any new tax developments regularly, and having someone
you can bounce off ideas for financial decisions, BEFORE you make a mistake,
and the list goes on. Tax Professionals are not just for wealthy taxpayers. Your
tax professional should be able to save you more than they charge you!

What to Look for in a Tax Professional?

So, how do you find a tax professional? Look under Certified Public
Accountants (CPA) and Enrolled Agents (EA). Both are tax experts. One is
expert at both tax and accounting (Certified Public Accountant) and one is
expert at only tax (Enrolled Agent). Always look for the license hanging in
their offices. It takes years to become either one, so these professionals are
rightfully proud to display those credentials. Both are much better at tax law
than the national tax preparation service franchises.

Where do you look for a Certified Public Accountant or Enrolled Agent?
You can search them in your area, but most will ask family and friends, who
they use. Look for someone that cares about teaching you how to save money.

A good tax professional should always go over your return and answer any
questions before they submit your return to the IRS. Further, a good
professional will keep you up to date on new tax developments. These
professionals are experts in tax preparation, tax resolution, and tax planning.
That means they can help you save both time and taxes every year. And if you
are ever questioned about your tax returns, CPA’s and EA’s can legally
represent you before the IRS! So, Don and Sherry never take a chance at self
filing. They always depend on a trusted licensed tax professional.

Tax season is in full swing, so finding a qualified, trustworthy tax expert will
only get more difficult between now and April 15. CALL TODAY, don’t
delay!

Call today, don’t delay! See how this affects you. We can be reached at 602-264-9331 and on all social media under azmoneyguy.

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